Adaptive Aquatics program helps disabled children at Daphne YMCA

(Press-Register/Robert Ladnier)D.J. Hunt floats unassisted as volunteer Bill Specht looks on during the Adaptive Aquatics program at the Bounds Family YMCA in Daphne on Thursday, June 25, 2009. The program has been held each Tuesday and Thursday in June.

DAPHNE, Ala. -- J.J. Austin of Spanish Fort said he likes swimming very much. With the temperatures hovering near triple digits, he couldn't have picked a better time to learn something new.

"Swimming is just something that I've always liked to do," J.J. said. "I am just now learning how to swim. It's a whole lot of fun."

Smiles were on the faces of the 13 participants in the new Adaptive Aquatics program held for disabled children at the Bounds Family YMCA in Daphne, which was held twice a week this month.

"We are trying to teach them that they can float in the water, regardless of their disability, so in a situation where if they did fall into water they could be able to relax and get themselves into a floating position and hopefully be able to survive until they could get help," said Bill Specht, who serves as an Adaptive P.E. teacher for Baldwin County Public Schools.

"Julie McKiven, a parent of one of our students -- her son has cerebral palsy -- came to me and said she would like to have some kind of summer program for kids with disabilities. We sat down with a group of people and the idea came up for Adaptive Aquatics, which I had taught for many years in Pensacola. Once the word got out our program filled up immediately with a waiting list. Our volunteers are from Mobile and Baldwin counties. We have 'volunteens' and volunteer adults."

(Press-Register/Robert Ladnier).J. Austin, left, and Stephen Scott race at the Adaptive Aquatics program at the Bounds Family YMCA in Daphne. Some of the children can swim freely, while others need floation devices or full-time attention from volunteers to enjoy the water.

McKiven said there are many reasons this swimming program is important.

"I think for kids with physical disabilities, which is where the focus is, a lot of these kids stay at home in the summer and don't go out," McKiven said. "They don't have opportunities and places to go that they can be a part of the activity without a parent being along. A lot of parents work and can't take them to activities that are really primarily for non-disabled kids anyway, which is often not so great, and they are not included.

"This is an opportunity for them to get out of the house, get away from the video games, get away from the TV, get out and be in the sunshine, be with other kids and play and get some physical exercise. There are a multitude of benefits," she said.

Awareness of the special needs of some children is one thing, but the swimming program is also of vital importance.

"We are surrounded by so much water in this area," Specht said. "Adaptive Aquatics is a program that has been around for decades with the Red Cross, YMCA, school system and city therapeutic recreation programs. The ideal is to have something like this year-round."

According to Specht, a lack of volunteers for such a program is only a part of the problem.

"The other part is just space," Specht said. "With the number of kids we have to really keep an eye on them and make sure safety is first, where we can keep an eye on them and work on water survival skills, basic swimming skills. We do a little bit of range-of-motion exercises with some of the kids, depending on their needs. Each kid is different. We have some who are swimming pretty freely and then there are some who need floatation devices."